AOPA enhancing website, member database

May 2, 2013

ByAlyssa J. Miller

In the coming weeks, AOPA will be transitioning to a redesigned website and a new membership management system in an effort to enhance your interaction with the association online. The new design and technologies are geared to make it easier for you to find the aviation information you are looking for and update your membership profile and benefits any time, any day, from any computer or mobile device.

The redesigned website features new, user-friendly navigation; quick links to AOPA’s popular flight planning tools; a dedicated news page; an advocacy alert section to keep you abreast of the association’s efforts to protect your freedom to fly and grow the pilot population; a consolidated AOPA Store for one-stop shopping; and easy-to-find information and forms on topics from buying an aircraft to medical certification to international flight operations. The AOPA Foundation Air Safety Institute’s popular online courses, quizzes, and informational webinars and webcasts are bundled in one location for you to peruse, similar to movie listings on the Netflix website.

“AOPA members tell us the website is an important member benefit, and, after thorough research of how our members use the site and best practices, we have redesigned the website to make it easier for you to quickly navigate to the information you need,” said Michelle Peterson, AOPA vice president of membership. “The site will offer new functionality including optimization for mobile devices. More importantly, it creates a new technology infrastructure that will allow us to deploy numerous other features quickly. Look for those later this year.”

The new membership management system will make it easier for you update your membership, manage your print and online subscriptions, and enroll in programs to help you finance or insure your aircraft, seek medical or legal assistance, purchase products, and even print a new certificate for the online safety courses you have completed.

“You can rest easy knowing that your personal information will continue to be secure with AOPA, as we seek to stay technologically current and follow best practices,” said Doug Shorter, AOPA chief information officer and vice president of information and technology.

AOPA’s Member Services and Pilot Information Center specialists are and will continue to be available to help you one-on-one over the phone through our toll-free hotline (800/USA-AOPA) or via email.

“We know that change, especially with new designs and technologies, doesn’t occur without a few glitches,” Peterson said. “We hope you will agree these small inconveniences are worth it to ensure membership records are properly maintained, business transactions are supported, and communication with you is more efficient. Making this move as seamless for you as possible is very important to us. We encourage you to contact us with any problems that you encounter while visiting our website or trying to manage your membership profile online.”

To that end, AOPA’s specialists have received extensive training with both of the new systems and are eager to help you with any questions you may encounter once the new systems go live in the coming weeks. They are standing by Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern.

AOPA is calling on its members to take immediate action to build support for new legislation that would reform the third class medical process and provide other protections for general aviation pilots.